If you are planning a trip to Yellowstone, you might soon get a feeling of how challenging it is to choose the accommodation. Yellowstone National Park itself is a huge area with several different entrance points and more land to explore than you can imagine.
This means the possibility of staying at different hotels if you plan on seeing as much of the park as is possible throughout your stay in Yellowstone. Either that or lots of driving to and fro — unless you carefully select the area that you think fits your requirements beforehand.
So there are a few important factors to consider, like your budget and length of stay, plus how you want your itinerary to run in terms of proximity to the park.
Then there is the availability of accommodation at the time of your booking. You can certainly expect to find everything packed out in peak season (especially inside the park) sometimes a year in advance!
So let’s try and put things into perspective by having a look at some of the available options, and narrowing it down to the best hotels in Yellowstone.
Staying in Yellowstone – Travel Tips and Advice
Which areas in Yellowstone are best?
- It is worth knowing that the hotels inside the park are much more expensive than those outside of it and in the surrounding areas. The accommodation inside the park is also usually booked up to as much as a year in advance, although some people still believe it is the best option in terms of sightseeing.
- Canyon Village has probably the best central location from which to base yourself from inside the park. There is way more choice in some of the park’s surrounding areas though, and Gallatin County in West Yellowstone is one of the best spots in terms of location, facilities, and price range.
- Gardiner near the North Entrance is also nice – it’s near the hot springs and not as busy as West Yellowstone.
- Read more – Where to stay in Yellowstone
Getting Around
- The best way to get around Yellowstone is by car, especially if you are planning to explore the park. There is no public transportation to speak of in the park.
- Car rentals can be arranged at any of the nearby airports, and plenty of guided tours of the park and surrounding areas are also available.
Yellowstone Attractions
- The geyser basins in the park, particularly Old Faithful and the Grand Prismatic Spring as well as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and Mammoth Hot Springs.
- These attractions are all about an hour’s drive away if staying in the West Yellowstone region outside the park.
- Read more – Top Things To Do In Yellowstone
The Top 3 Hotels in Yellowstone
Most Convenient Place to Stay in Yellowstone... A Great Adventure with Excellent Lodging... Canyon Lodge & Cabins is right in the heart of Yellowstone National Park, in the midst of mountains and expansive natural beauty. The accommodation is a 10-minute walk from the Canyon Visitor Education Center, a 5-minute drive to Yellowstone Grand Canyon. It is close to Norris Geyser Basin Museum, and also only ten minutes from Artist Point. You can easily indulge in a variety of outdoor activities and there are many trails ideal for hiking and biking close to the accommodation, including the Mary Mountain Trailhead. You can also find and book various tours and trips from the lodge. The hotel is a large, 3-star lodge with almost 600 rooms and 2 restaurants. The rooms are all equipped with bathrooms that have a shower and tub combos, as well as tea & coffee-making facilities, fans, and hair dryers, and the hotel has a convenience store if you need any other necessities. Also one of the most popular hotels located in Yellowstone National Park is the Old Faithful Inn – and it is no coincidence that this accommodation shares the same name as the famous geyser with the same name, which is actually on the grounds of the hotel. The hotel’s expansive, surrounding natural beauty is impressive, and there are plenty of outdoor adventures via the many hiking and biking trails close to the accommodation. You can also find eco-tours or rent a bike on which to do a self-guided tour around the immediate vicinity of the park. The famous Old Faithful Geyser is literally a 5-minute walk away, and two other famous geysers in the area, Castle and Grand, are accessible within just a 10-minute walk This historic hotel has more than 300 rooms, 2 restaurants, a bar & lounge, a snack bar, and a coffee shop. All rooms have portable fans, desks, and free local calls are included. The accommodation can be reached in 2 hours from the nearest Airport, Jackson Hole. In a different region of Yellowstone National Park closer to the North Entrance you can find the famous Mammoth Hot Springs & Cabins resort. It is quite close to the Fort Yellowstone Historic District and Roosevelt Arch, and the Albright Visitor Center is located at the North Entrance. The location has its fair share of outdoor activities to get involved in, especially in the winter when this spot becomes ideal for cross-country skiing on the nearby slopes, or maybe a bit of snowshoeing. The resort is just one minute away from Fort Yellowstone Historic District and Osprey Falls Trail. The hotel has over 200 rooms, a restaurant, a snack bar, a 24-hour front desk, and the rooms all have portable fans. You can reach the accommodation in under 2 hours from Gallatin Field Airport. The Kelly Inn is located in West Yellowstone, less than a 5-minute drive from the West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. It is also in an ideal spot just a 3-minute walk from the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, and a 2-minute walk away from the National Geographic IMAX Theater. The hotel has an indoor pool and hot tub, and free WiFi and complimentary breakfast are included. The rooms are air-conditioned and equipped with a satellite flat-screen TV, a microwave and a refrigerator. All rooms comprise private bathrooms with a bath, a shower, and free toiletries. There is also an onsite communal sauna, a business center, and a 24-hour front desk. The nearest airport is Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, which is less than 150 km away. The Grey Wolf Inn is also located near the park’s West Entrance, close to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center – in fact right opposite to it. The hotel is in an ideal location for various outdoor pursuits such as fishing, cycling, hiking, and skiing. All guest rooms include free Wi-Fi, and the guest rooms are fully equipped with a satellite TV, a refrigerator, a microwave, and coffee-making facilities. The hotel provides a daily continental-style breakfast, and there is also a well-known local restaurant called The Branch just 2 blocks away. The hotel has an indoor heated pool, hot tub, and sauna, and laundry facilities are available The Yellowstone West Gate Hotel is located 5 blocks from the park’s West Entrance and is a 5-minute drive from the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. The national park’s famous Old Faithful Geyser is also within a 30-minute drive of the accommodation, and the hotel can be reached within 10 minutes from Yellowstone Regional Airport. The hotel features an indoor pool, and all rooms include free Wi-Fi, a microwave, a refrigerator, cable TV, and coffee-making facilities. There’s also a work desk area and a dining table in each room. Guests have free access to the business center and the indoor hot tub, and a continental breakfast is provided each morning. The Clubhouse Inn is literally a 3-minute drive from the park’s West Entrance, and both the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center and the Yellowstone Historic Center are reachable within 5 minutes. The hotel has an indoor pool and hot tub, and free Wi-Fi is offered in all rooms. The rooms also comprise an en suite bathroom, a flat-screen TV, a refrigerator, a microwave, and coffee-making facilities. Guests have access to the onsite Fitness Center, and a free continental breakfast is served daily Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is the nearest airport to the accommodation and is less than 2 hours drive from the property. The Gateway Inn is just 2 minutes away from the North Entrance of Yellowstone Park and is located adjacent to Gallatin National Forest. This location is ideal for all manner of outdoor activities including horseback riding, fishing, rafting, hiking, and cycling, with many opportunities nearby to the inn. Yellowstone National Park headquarters is 8 km away from the hotel, and Yellowstone Lake is 80.5 km away. The temperature-controlled rooms in the accommodation include free Wi-Fi, large, flat-screen TVs, a fully-equipped kitchen and a seating area, and tea and coffee-making facilities. Some of the rooms have park mountain views as well. The nearest airports, Yellowstone Airport and Bozeman Airport, are both just over an hour’s drive away. Yellowstone Big Rock Inn is another one of the most popular hotels in the Gardiner region, close to the North Entrance of Yellowstone Park. The closest airport is Bozeman International Airport, which is 89 km from the Yellowstone hotel. All the usual outdoor pursuits common to the area are within easy reach of the hotel. All rooms at the family-friendly hotel are air-conditioned and feature a private bathroom with free toiletries, free WiFi, a flat-screen TV, a refrigerator, and coffee-making facilities. Some rooms include a seating area to lounge in. If you are a pizza fan, you’ll be pleased to know the hotel is quite close to Yellowstone Pizza Company. Just a 5-minute drive from Yellowstone National Park’s North Entrance is the impressive Absaroka Lodge. This accommodation is a 10-minute walk away from the local landmark Roosevelt Arch, and just over an hour from Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. The air-conditioned rooms feature free Wi-Fi, a satellite TV, a microwave, a refrigerator, and coffee-making facilities. You can also enjoy some amazing views of the Yellowstone River from the rooms in this hotel, which is in a prime spot overlooking the river. At the end of the day, with just a little careful, advanced planning, it won’t be too difficult to find the best hotel to suit your requirements on a visit to Yellowstone. Whether you fancy the idea of staying within the grounds of the national park or not, it still won’t be too difficult to find a place within easy reach of some of the prime attractions in and around Yellowstone. Just remember if you do plan to stay inside the park it will be more expensive and will definitely have to be booked way more in advance of some of the other locations.
The 10 Best Hotels in Yellowstone
1. Canyon Lodge – Inside the Park
2. Old Faithful Inn – Inside the Park
3. Mammoth Hot Springs & Cabins – Inside the Park
4. Kelly Inn – West Yellowstone
5. Grey Wolf Inn & Suites – West Yellowstone
6. Yellowstone West Gate Hotel – West Yellowstone
7. Clubhouse Inn – West Yellowstone
8. Yellowstone Gateway Inn – Gardiner
9. Yellowstone Big Rock Inn – Gardiner
10. Absaroka Lodge – Gardiner
Final Thoughts
